BRAINERD — When Madeline Johnson had an idea for a business, she didn't know where to begin.
Her mom told her about the North Central Small Business Development Center, where she was offered a no-cost consultation. Johnson thought there must be a catch.
"But there really was no catch," she said in a recent Bright Spot conversation on the KAXE Morning Show.
The center is located at Central Lakes College in Brainerd but serves 11 counties in the north-central region, including Aitkin, Cass and Wadena.
The center is part of the statewide Minnesota Small Business Development Center network. Half of North Central SBDC's funding is provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the other half is from local donors, grants and Minnesota's Department of Employment and Economic Development.
Johnson opened Little Threads, a pre-loved children's clothing boutique, in 2025 in downtown Brainerd. She got the idea when she was pregnant with her daughter and was looking for thrifted kids' clothes. It took three years to get Little Threads up and running, and she was paired with a consultant from North Central SBDC to make it a reality.
"I think I was kind of naive to the fact that there was so much back-end paperwork with the state ... like, you have to become a legal business," Johnson said, describing all the fun things she wanted to do, like design a logo and make her store stroller-friendly.
She feels like Little Threads is becoming a hub for area parents who are looking to meet other families and find information on early childhood programs. She hopes to start parent events in the future.
Katie Heppner, regional director at North Central SBDC, said the organization works with about 700 clients per year.
"To see them grow and just become more confident ... I think is so cool," Heppner said.
"Madeline really is a great example of starting with an idea, putting in the hard work and then seeing that success pay off and becoming a part of the community. That's why we do this work."
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The Bright Spot is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
